A Seventh-Century Byzantine Hoard from Germia

Abstract

This study examines the Germia Hoard discovered in 1972 in the village of Gümüşkonak in the Sivrihisar district of Eskişehir Province. Originally comprising 47 Byzantine gold coins, the surviving portion consists of ten solidi and six tremisses from the reign of Constans II, and a single tremissis struck under Heraclius. Most of the coins date to the latter half of Constans II’s reign, with the latest being a Class VII(b) solidus minted between AD 663 and 668. This coin provides a terminus post quem for the hoard’s deposition, suggesting it was concealed sometime between AD 664 and 669, likely within a year or two of the latest issue. All solidi bear mint marks and stylistic features consistent with production at the Constantinople mint. A distinctive feature of the Germia Hoard is the presence of graffiti—inscribed symbols potentially used for identification or control during circulation. The inclusion of tremisses, less frequently encountered in Anatolian hoards of this period, further distinguishes the Germia find. Comparative analysis underscores the hoard’s importance in reconstructing the economic, political, and cultural landscape of the Byzantine Empire in the seventh-century. However, the absence of archaeological context and the loss of part of the hoard present limitations. Continued research will contribute to a clearer understanding of the hoard’s historical significance.

Keywords

• G e r m i a
• B y z a n t i n e
• h o a r d
• Constans II
• Galatia
• coin

Supporting Institution

This study was supported by the Anadolu University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit under project number YTS-2023-1874.

Thanks

I would like to express my gratitude to the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums for granting permission to conduct research at the Eskişehir Eti Archaeology Museum, to Emriye Yurt, Director of the Museum, and to Specialist Ahmet Eynallı, who is responsible for its coin collection.

References

1. Ashton, R. 1999. “Datça, Uncertain Date.” NC 159:357.
2. Belke, K., and M. Restle. 1984. TIB IV: Galatien und Lykaonien. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.
3. Berman, A. 1989. “Sigraffiti.” In Excavation Capernaum, Vol. 1. 1978-1982, edited by V. Tzaferis, 181-90. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns.
4. Bijovsky, G.I. 2002. “A Hoard of Byzantine solidi from Bet She’an in the Umayyad Period.” RN 158:161-227.
5. Bijovsky, G.I. 2012a. “A Byzantine Gold Hoard from Rehob (H. Parwa).” Israel Numismatic Research 7:147-58.